There are a variety of types of conventional dispensing closures. One type of prior art dispensing closure system includes a body or base for being attached to the top of a container. The body defines a dispensing opening. The system further includes a lid which is hingedly mounted on the body and which can be lifted up to open the dispensing opening.
Dispensing closures are typically used for dispensing a product from a container. With some types of fluent material products, it would be desirable to provide a closure with a hinged top or lid structure that could accommodate pouring of the fluent material product through the closure, and also alternatively accommodate the insertion of a utensil through the open closure to permit the fluent material product to be scooped out or ladled out of the container. Such a closure could also permit the user to scoop or ladle out products such as nuts, candy, cookies, crackers, etc.
It would be advantageous if an improved dispensing closure could be provided that would be readily adjustable to accommodate the scooping out of various materials as well as the pouring or scooping out of a fluent material product.
It would also be advantageous if the lid structure of such an improved dispensing closure could be readily and easily manipulated as necessary to permit the closure either to be used for pouring a fluent product from the container or to accommodate the scooping of the fluent material product or other product out of the container.
Additionally, it would be beneficial if an improved dispensing closure could provide a relatively narrow pour stream of a the fluent material product and yet be wide enough to readily accommodate a conventional, wider container opening.
It would also be advantageous if such an improved dispensing closure could accommodate containers which have a variety of shapes and which are constructed from a variety of materials.
Such an improved dispensing closure should accommodate ease of use. Preferably, such an improved closure should also facilitate cleaning of the closure.
It would also be desirable if an improved dispensing closure could be molded as one piece, and not require assembly of multiple parts.
Further, it would be desirable if an improved dispensing closure could accommodate alternative designs for a narrow pour stream or a wider pour stream wherein the basic closure structure could be molded from one, common mold cavity to produce either of the designs.
It would also be beneficial if an improved dispensing closure could readily accommodate its manufacture from a variety of different materials.
Further, it would be desirable if such an improved system could accommodate efficient, high-quality, high-speed, large volume manufacturing techniques with a reduced product reject rate to produce products having consistent operating characteristics unit-to-unit with high reliability.